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Pilot's Seat in Spacecraft
Earned by Tough Training
HOUSTON.
WHAT do you have to do to become an astronaut?
It's a question that hundreds of young peopLe
.ask in letters Lo the headquarters for Amer­ica's
spacemen, Manned Spacecraft center here.
So far, NASA has selected 30 men for space rught,
including John Glenn. The Air Force bas named two
more-Maj. Robert White and Maj. Robert Rushwortb
-wbo flew the X·15 rocket plane above 50 miles,
Without doubt, the ranks of astronauts will grow
in coming years-but tbe qualifications will always be
among tbe tougbest for any job.
At present, these are the general requirements:
under 40 vears of a/(e. not over six feet tall, and in ex­cellent
physical condition. Because today's spacecraft
are necessarilv small, pounds are precious and ex­pensive
(it costs $1000 to put one pound of payload in
orbit) big, heavy men are at a disadvantage.
The tallest of the present astronauts is six feet;
the beaviest is 190 pounds. The smallest is 5 feet, 6%
inches tall. at 138 pounds.
The physical requirements are just the beginning.
Astronauts also must have at Least a bachelor's degree
in science or engineering-and must be graduates of a
test pilot school which requires hundreds of hours of
jet flight time.
Finally, astronauts must pass the most severe
physical. mental, psychological, and moral tests ever
devised-and they must keep fit to pass them at any
time, to assure they will be at peak efficiency for any
crisis in flight. •
How are astronauts trained? They begin by receiv·
ing complete indoctrination from the industrial com·
paroes that build the space hardware they will use.
Tbey attend classes in astrophysics, space navigation,
astronomy, rocltet technology. They rehearse count·
down procedures, £light monitoring tecbniques, recov·
erY aDd survival techniques.

Pilot's Seat in Spacecraft
Earned by Tough Training
HOUSTON.
WHAT do you have to do to become an astronaut?
It's a question that hundreds of young peopLe
.ask in letters Lo the headquarters for Amer­ica's
spacemen, Manned Spacecraft center here.
So far, NASA has selected 30 men for space rught,
including John Glenn. The Air Force bas named two
more-Maj. Robert White and Maj. Robert Rushwortb
-wbo flew the X·15 rocket plane above 50 miles,
Without doubt, the ranks of astronauts will grow
in coming years-but tbe qualifications will always be
among tbe tougbest for any job.
At present, these are the general requirements:
under 40 vears of a/(e. not over six feet tall, and in ex­cellent
physical condition. Because today's spacecraft
are necessarilv small, pounds are precious and ex­pensive
(it costs $1000 to put one pound of payload in
orbit) big, heavy men are at a disadvantage.
The tallest of the present astronauts is six feet;
the beaviest is 190 pounds. The smallest is 5 feet, 6%
inches tall. at 138 pounds.
The physical requirements are just the beginning.
Astronauts also must have at Least a bachelor's degree
in science or engineering-and must be graduates of a
test pilot school which requires hundreds of hours of
jet flight time.
Finally, astronauts must pass the most severe
physical. mental, psychological, and moral tests ever
devised-and they must keep fit to pass them at any
time, to assure they will be at peak efficiency for any
crisis in flight. •
How are astronauts trained? They begin by receiv·
ing complete indoctrination from the industrial com·
paroes that build the space hardware they will use.
Tbey attend classes in astrophysics, space navigation,
astronomy, rocltet technology. They rehearse count·
down procedures, £light monitoring tecbniques, recov·
erY aDd survival techniques.